The Hoosick Falls Central School District has shut off three faucets at the junior-senior high school after tests of the water showed elevated lead levels. Two of the faucets that were used for cooking showed levels as high as 450 parts per billion, which is 30 times the limit allowed by the state.

The district was one of seven in the Capital Region to post results of water testing over the past week that showed lead contamination of water fountains, sinks, showers and other places. Results will continue to come in this year as schools across New York comply with a new state law requiring the testing this year and every five years thereafter. The Times Union is posting these results on its Schools blog, http://blog.timesunion.com/schools.

Hoosick Falls schools have taken extra precautions to protect their water over the past year following the discovery of widespread PFOA contamination in the public water supply. Although the school district is not connected to the municipal water system and pumps water from wells located on campus, it installed a carbon filtration system this spring as a preventive measure.

That system does not protect water from lead contamination, said Superintendent Kenneth Facin.

"Lead is a whole different ballgame," he said. "Contamination occurs, not at the point of entry, but as it moves through the infrastructure, from the pipes and fixtures with lead solder. So that's what's going to make this a very complex fix across the state. We were very fortunate to have only a few sources come back elevated."

A new state law has been shining a spotlight on the prevalence of lead-contaminated water in schools by requiring all public schools in New York to test water for lead at any outlet that is currently or potentially used for drinking or cooking.

If a source shows lead levels above 15 parts per billion, a district is required to shut it off, and develop and implement a remediation plan — whether that be replacing pipes, faucets and other parts, or making bottled water available to students.

Most contaminated water has come from classroom and bathroom sinks meant for hand washing or lab experiments, according to results posted on the district websites.

New York became the first state in the nation to require comprehensive water testing in schools when the law was enacted on Sept. 6. Districts had until Sept. 30 to test elementary schools, and must post the results within 10 days of receiving them. They had until Oct. 31 to test all other schools.

Lead exposure is particularly harmful to young children, even at low levels. Prolonged exposure can result in lower IQ, behavioral problems and brain damage. The toxic material enters drinking water when pipes containing lead corrode, especially if the water running through them has high acidity or low mineral content. Human skin does not absorb lead in water, so sinks that are used for washing are not cause for worry, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.